


Red Hood and the Wolf

by Lunarsault



Series: Black Souls Dark Fantasy [2]
Category: Black Souls
Genre: Abusive Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 12:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21179072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarsault/pseuds/Lunarsault
Summary: Reimagining of Red Riding Hood, told in a dark fantasy setting. Partially inspired by Grimm Fairy Tales, partially inspired by the game Black Souls.





	Red Hood and the Wolf

“Trash.”  
Allison quietly ate her meal, sitting at the farthest end of the table, away from her mother and sisters. Her mother stared at her coldly, eyes sharp as daggers. Her rage was palpable, so thick that Allison’s sisters found it difficult to swallow their food. Allison didn’t mind though. This was nothing new. She calmly sliced another piece of meat with her dull, rusty cutlery. It left a hard and acrid iron taste on her food...but she has long grown accustomed to the sensation of stinging metal on her tongue. Allison raised her eyes to her mother subtly, once again marveling at the differences between herself and the illustrious Elizabeth Bartleby. Her mother’s hair was of a blonde so rich that it appeared to be spun from gold, and her eyes were so blue that they resembled a clean and pure ocean. Allison’s hair on the other hand was a muddy brown, her eyes black and cold. Her mother was tall and shapely, with blushed and full cheeks. Allison was thin, short and pale, all the color drained from her face. They were exact opposites. And yet...it was clear as day, as obvious as the setting of the sun, or the glimmering light of the moon. Any who saw them would know the truth, instantly. Mother and daughter, bound by blood.  
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed, her hand snapping forward to grip silver, throwing the knife across the room with deadly force. The girl felt it breeze past her cheek, slamming into the wall and vibrating with force. Allison’s sisters went pale, suddenly scooting their chairs back so they were nowhere near their mother’s line of sight. Allison merely averted her eyes, continuing to eat.  
“Don’t look at me you filth. You disgusting mistake. Your very presence ruins my appetite.”  
Her mother quickly pushed herself from the table, standing and striding from the room.   
Allison finished her meal quietly and neatly. She stood, pushing her chair in as her sisters whispered to each other, staring at Allison with barely hidden disgust. She gave them a cool look as they averted their eyes, and left the room. She heard them gossiping wildly as she left, no longer bothering to contain their words. It wasn’t worth hearing.

*CRACK*  
Allison’s head rocked to the side, her face stinging. She felt something hot and warm drip from her cheek onto the ground. Her mother’s nails were sharp, leaving rough grooves in her daughters skin. And yet Allison calmly looked upwards, meeting her mother’s irate gaze.  
“Have I displeased you Mother?”  
Like a whip, Elizabeth’s hand shot out again, bloodying Allison’s other cheek.   
“Wretch. Don’t call me by that name. You are no daughter of mine. I could not have spawned such a disgrace.” Has   
“Understood Mo— understood. Did you need something from me?”  
Elizabeth’s face flushed, like she was forcing herself not to hurt the girl in front of her, before she turned her head to the side in disgust.  
“My mother-in-law...she has not sent word in quite some time. I worry for her. And so, I have decided that you will check on her...and come back when you are finished.”  
Allison considered. The visit was appealing. Allison wouldn’t go so far as to say she loved her grandmother, but she was certainly of a more agreeable disposition then the rest of her family. Her gran however lived deep in the woods, surrounded by vicious wild animals and the occasional demon beast (the hearts of men were so very fickle after all). It was likely her mother just wanted her to get eaten by a wayward wolf, but Allison was tired of the beatings, of nursing her bruises with scummy ice and dirtied rags. Either she got to her grandmother’s house and enjoyed the change in scenery, or she simply ceased to be. Both had their benefits.  
“Okay.” She said in a quiet voice. “I’ll go.”  
If Elizabeth was surprised at Allison’s quick agreement, she didn’t show it. She turned and left without a word, leaving Allison to go to one of her sisters for good for the journey. Allison did not blink when she was handed a basket full of stale bread just on the cusp of molding, and cookies burnt black. Her eldest sister seemed to be suppressing a smile when she explained that this was all the food available, that Allison merely had to make do. That hint of humor disappeared when Allison reached in, taking a confectionary burnt into a lump of charcoal and stuffing it into her mouth. She chewed around the grit, swallowing as thick ash went down her throat, and stared at her sister with no expression. Her lips rose slightly. No one would call it a smile.  
“Delicious.”  
And with that, Allison strode from the pantry, and set off towards her grandmothers home.

It was cold, but that didn’t bother Allison. She walked for a day and a half, not even stopping to sleep (she hadn’t felt the urge in quite some time), and merely gazed at the sights of the old and decrepit forest as she walked the beaten path. This forest was a cursed place, the trees gnarled and bent, the wind howling through the branches sounding all too like screams. And yet the eerie quiet and distinct lack of life around her made Allison feel at ease. But before she could ruminate on this nostalgic feeling, the howl of a wolf caught her attention. She might not have even stopped to investigate it. For while she did not fear death (she feared nothing in fact), she was not suicidal. And yet this howl sounded not brave or challenging, but lonely and weak. Like a desperate cry for help in the night. And since it turns out that people who don’t care for their own well being make excellent good samaritans, Allison found herself venturing into the forest to find the wolf.   
Upon seeing it, a few things were readily apparent. One, the wolf was painfully pregnant. It’s belly almost dragged across the floor as it struggled to its feet, a pathetic whine emerging from its throat as it tried to stand. Two, the wolf did not have long to live. It’s mouth was flecked with a thick, bloody foam that dripped onto the ground, its eyes dull and unfocused as it growled unconvincingly at the girl standing before it. It made a weak lunge towards Allison, stumbling forward a few inches before collapsing back to the ground, muscles spasming in weakness.   
Within moments the wolf was unconscious, and the girl could tell it would not wake again. The danger having passed, Allison crouched next to the wolf’s stomach, laying her ear against the swollen belly. The heartbeat was immediately apparent, pulsing wildly and powerfully, as if it wished to burst free from the prison that contained it. Allison didn’t hesitate any longer. She strode to her basket, taking out the sharp knife that laid inside. There was no time to waste. She closed her eyes for one moment in respect to the pregnant mother, and then began to cut.

After it was done, Allison sat against a tree, holding the baby wolf in her stained white cloak. She was intrigued by how well developed the cub was.  
“Big eyes...” she mused as she stared into the wolf’s intelligent looking gaze, examining the cubs already razor sharp claws, and admiring the glinting fangs that protruded from its mouth. It had an almost human stare as it absorbed Allison’s features in a curious manner. The cub stuck out a pink tongue, licking the girl’s pale cheek affectionately. It had certainty been infected by the miasma in the area, that would explain the mother’s sickness and the pup’s unnatural growth. Demon-beasts were known to bring misery and destruction after all. The smart thing to do was to kill it. And yet...  
“It’s hard when you’re born different, isn’t it?” She scratched the cubs chin as it mewled softly. She decided on a course of action. Quickly eating the rest of the stale bread and cookies, she laid her now red cloak inside the picnic basket, and then laid the cub inside. Hopefully gran didn’t mind another guest. 

The rest of the journey went on in relative quiet and peace, Allison letting the cub peek its head from the basket to enjoy the sights as they travelled together in silence. Occasionally the pup stood on its hind legs to lick Allison’s hand. She didn’t mind, staring forward in stoic silence. She did however hush the pup when she finally came upon her grandmothers home.  
Allison sighed in frustration when she viewed her gran’s front door. It had been kicked in violently, the wooden splinters scattered amidst the front of her humble abode. She laid the cub down, giving it a reassuring pat on the head before heading towards the shack, knife clenched in hand. Whoever had done this more than likely had left already, but Allison decided it was smarter to be safe then sorry. It was only when she neared the front of the entrance that she stopped in confusion. If someone had been attempting to break in, why were the splinters outside her grandmothers home? 

She felt something hit her, hard, knocking all the air out of her lungs and sending her tumbling through the grass. Only the reflexive tensing of all her muscles let her keep the knife as she was flung violently to the ground. She coughed as she looked up, the hunched figure before her staring at her with bloodshot eyes and a disturbed grin on their face. Gray hair framed their features, cracked spectacles and what used to be a kindly smile replaced by manically bared teeth. She should’ve expected it really. This far out, separated from family and friends? It was obvious she would have succumbed. Allison stumbled to her feet, clutching the knife tight.  
“Hullo grandma. You’re looking chipper.”  
The demon-beast twitched, her head shaking back and forth like a marionette with broken strings.   
Allison sighed, tired from the journey, from the usual disappointment. She wasn’t sure what carnal sin had consumed her grandmother. Maybe it was the loneliness. Maybe it was a thirst for knowledge, for wealth. Maybe she just decided she hated people. Regardless, the person in front of her had become consumed by the sinister fog that infected all in this land, a malevolent sickening of the spirit and mind.   
“Can you believe I thought this was going to be a nice visit?”  
The demon-beast didn’t even seem to register the sentence, staring into the woods ominously, her eyes rolling wildly around in her skull.  
“And to think I thought things were finally looking up. What a—-“  
She didn’t have time to finish the thought, as what was left of her grandmother suddenly charged into her, planting a fist in her stomach so hard that Allison’s rib cracked under the impact. The girl didn’t flinch, stabbing the knife into the demon-beasts shoulder before her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.  
She coughed, tasted iron in her mouth, and sighed.  
“...load of rubbish. Why can’t we just have a normal family?”   
Her kindly gran knelt in front of her, baring massive, inhuman teeth as her jaw unhinged itself like a snake.  
“Why granny, what large teeth you have. Almost makes me think you’ll make this quick.”  
Suddenly, her grandmother’s head snapped down, razor sharp teeth ripping into Allison’s left shoulder, digging so deep they scored the bone. Allison felt her arm go numb, and rolled her eyes.  
“Of course not. This family loves prolonging the pain. Forget it. Try not to choke on my bones you hag.”  
The demon-beast seemed to register this last quip, shrieking in a pitch so high that Allison felt her ears begin to bleed. The beast bared her fangs, mouth opening wide, ready to bare down on the girls unprotected throat. Allison closed her eyes, not wishing to see what came next...when she heard the crunch of teeth on flesh and a roar of pain. Her eyes snapped open as she saw the cub biting into her grandmothers leg, razor sharp fangs splitting flesh and spilling blood on the forest ground. For a mere second her grandmother turned towards the cub, about to rend it to pieces with her claws, but that second was all she needed. Allison ripped the knife from her grandmothers shoulder, and slammed it through the broken spectacles, directly into the demon-beasts right eye. There was a painful pause, her grandfather staggering to her feet, grasping for the knife protruding from her skull. Her mouth opened and closed over and over, like a trout on land struggling for air. Her remaining eye spun wildly, her arms flailing like she was possessed, acting out her death throes. Allison stared at what was left of her grandmother, reflecting on the woman she had once been. Remembered a time when she had been held by the woman before her, been whispered sweet nothings and promised that it would all be okay. Allison had never believed it...but she was still grateful that someone had tried.  
“Thanks for everything Gran. G’bye.”  
Her grandmother paused, giving her one look through her undamaged eye, and for a second Allison could have sworn she saw something familiar in that gaze. But as quick as it had come it passed. Her Gran’s eye rolled back deep into her skull, and she tumbled to the ground.  
Allison took a deep breath, and fell backwards in exhaustion. With her limbs numb, and her chest hurting, she just laughed at the ridiculousness of her situation. The wolf cub waltzed over to her, dragging the red cloak, its eyes wet with tears as it licked over her wounds with concern. Allison was touched that something was willing to actually cry for her, and wrapped the cloak around her shoulder as she laid her head against the cubs snout. She decided to rest her eyes. Just for a moment.

She hadn’t realized she had fallen asleep till she felt a wet tongue lick across her mouth and nose, causing her to sputter as she sit up. The wolf’s was still weeping profusely, eyes red and concerned. Allison playfully pushed the cubs head away, only for it to duck forward and bury its snout in her chest. She laughed, before scratching it behind the ears affectionately.  
“Don’t worry...I’ll heal fast. I promise.”  
The wolf pup continued to shed tears, tears hitting the dirt beneath them and making a soft, dripping sound.  
*poro*  
*poro*  
*poro*  
“Hm.” Allison contemplated the sound, the simple pitter patter of tears calming her.  
“You know, we never decided on a name for you, eh? Maybe...I’ll call you Poro.”  
The wolf cub tilted its head, seeming to consider. It nodded, and wiped its eyes on a paw. It glanced around, looking for something, until it’s eyes fixed on Allison’s bloodied cloak.   
“Red.”  
Allison startled at the word, and turned to stare at the cubs open mouth. It gestured towards the cloak, and panted excitedly. Allison didn’t even have the energy to be surprised.  
“Yeah. It’s red all right.”  
The wolf shook its head, planting a paw firmly on Allison’s stomach, mouth opening wide again.  
“Red!”  
Allison raised an eyebrow inquisitively.   
“Are you naming me now? That’s not exactly how this...”  
And then Allison considered. In what worth was a name? Was it in the name itself, or the value of the people who knew it? She gazed at the red cloak, the darkened fabric reminding her of the life she was now bonded to.  
She said it once, testing the feel.  
“Red.” She savored the taste of the sound,   
“Red. Red. Red...” she rolled the word around in her mouth, like a piece of candy she was trying to identify the flavor of. And finally, she looked the cub in the eyes, nodding.  
“I like it.”   
The wolf howled triumphantly, and Red leaned her head against its soft stomach. Her lips tilted upwards in a rare smile from the girl who did not feel, and she gazed at the sky. Her life was about to change. Her grandma didn’t need the cabin anymore after all, and her mother likely thought she was dead. With a new home and a new family...who needed an old name?  
“Red Hood and the Wolf,” she mused, “not bad at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you’ve happened to stumble upon this despite its lack of tags, please feel free to suggest tags that would work for this story and would help other users find it. I’m quite new to the site, and thus would welcome any help in regards to making stories more accessible.


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